Believe it or not, it’s possible to enjoy first-rate live music while attempting to get yourself seeded for Wimbledon.

Woodend Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club, in Glasgow’s Jordanhill, knows its tunes as well as its middle-class sports, having seen a wide range of home-grown and international talent take to the stage in its members’ bar over the years.

Rising to its impeccably high standards this evening are Americana outfit I See Hawks in L.A., who are in town for a one-off gig on the Scottish leg of their current UK tour.

Comprised of main members Rob Waller (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Anthony Lacques (percussion) and Paul Marshall (backing vocals, bass), this Californian group are living proof that decent country-rock exists outside of the Deep South.

And while the US may not be lacking guitar bands that play in a folky, rootsy manner, three things separate these guys from the rest. First, their transfixing lyrics, which are riddled with politics and humour. Second, their gorgeous, soaring harmonies – and third, the way they reflect the laid-back vibes of the Golden State with a twang of Byrds-esque psychedelia.

Critics are calling new album Mystery Drug – record number seven in a 14-year career – their best ever.

So even if you can't tell your bowls from your bobsledding, or your tennis from your Taekwondo, then you really don’t know a lot about sport – but you’ll still be very welcome and entertained here.

These Icelandic giants have already made much of the “aggressive” step they’ve taken on Kveikur, their seventh studio album and second in the space of a year.

Indeed, from the first track – and first single, Brennesteinn – ‘til the last, this is a whole lot more punchy, pounding, and ultimately percussional, than anything that came before.

But “aggressive” is a strong word. After all, we’re talking about Sigur Ros, whose music remains the most beautiful currently being made. They haven’t become Rammstein overnight. The echoing falsetto vocals, euphoric waves of synth, dainty jingles, tender strings and softly hummed harmonies still stop you dead in your tracks.

The upping of the pace on Kveikur nevertheless makes it slightly less accessible than the band’s previous offerings, but it’s still every bit as bedazzling as you’d hope – given time.

I was one of those 14-year-olds who thought he knew everything. My hair had blond highlights, my favourite meal was a fried egg, cheese and mayo toastie, and my mobile phone rang to the tune of Limp Bizkit’s Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) – a track that I felt was the most intelligent, controversial, and deeply moving, since Last Resort by Papa Roach came out the previous month.

Limp Bizkit was a moniker I used to think described the condition of a Rich Tea post-dunk – symbolic of how The Establishment eventually grinds everyone down, duh – but apparently signified absolutely nothing. It was nevertheless emblazoned across the Fruit of the Loom t-shirts and hoodies proudly sported by my friends and I, who’d each paid out a month’s worth of paper-round wages for the privilege.

It wasn’t a total waste of money, as I still wear the very same, now-moth-bitten t-shirts and hoodies whenever I’m painting or moving house. But hey, this isn’t about me – this is about the return of a band whose phenomenal success changed the landscape of mainstream rock music in the early noughties.

Say what you like about often-ridiculed frontman Fred Durst, who not only patented the oversized blue jeans, white t-shirt and red baseball cap look, but also made rap-rock a thing. And how could anyone forget guitarist Wes Borland, known equally for his musical experimentation as for his brilliantly bizarre visual appearances, which included face and body paint, masks and uniforms.

Together with bass player Sam Rivers, drummer John Otto and DJ Lethal on turntables, the Grammy Award-nominated nu-metal giants have sold in excess of 35 million albums since they formed in Jacksonville, Florida, back in 1994.

Now in the middle of another epic world tour, they take the stage at O2 Academy Glasgow this Saturday in the first of only two UK shows – the other occurring the following day at Download Festival.

The performance will see the group draw on material from their impressive back catalogue – from debut offering Three Dollar Bill, Yall, through the great commercial triumphs of Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, to their reunion release Gold Cobra, and beyond.

Those in attendance might even be graced with a few numbers from upcoming seventh album Stampede of the Disco Elephants, which is out later this year, as well as all the added entertainment from the band’s famously energetic concerts.

So, ladies, fellas, and the people that don’t give a damn, all the lovers, all the haters, and the people that call themselves players, hot mommas, pimp daddies, and the people rolling up in Caddies, rockers, hip hoppers, and everybody all around the world… I expect to see you all in the mosh pit this Saturday.

And to quote a certain American wordsmith – keep on rollin’ baby, you know what time it is.

5.6.13

Contrary to popular belief, not all of Scotland’s Gaelic speakers reside in the Highlands and the Western Isles. There's a community in Glasgow that is thriving beyond the bilingual name-boards at its subway and railway stations.

In February, it was announced that the city’s second Gaelic school was to open in the Pollokshields area as part of the Scottish Government’s five-year plan to revitalise the language. Now, just down the road at Tramway, one of the country’s most popular plays of the past decade is marking its tenth birthday with a unique translation into Scottish and Irish Gaelic.

Bright Colours Only is an interactive one-woman show that takes a darkly comic look at death. Set in a Belfast living room, it examines the wake ritual, as mourners are offered tea, sandwiches and whisky before attending a funeral procession.

Having began life at Tramway in 2003, this hilarious and heartfelt piece went on to tour the world from Northern Ireland to Brazil – memorably, in a hearse.

This anniversary production is performed in Gàidhlig and Gaeilge by Muireann Kelly – who last year won critical acclaim for her work in Tron Theatre’s production of Ulysses – and in English by writer, director and creator Pauline Goldsmith.

It's yet more evidence that Glasgow’s celebrated South Side venue simply doesn't do run-of-the-mill – only challenging, innovative, and ultimately unmissable.

The late, great Ray Manzarek, whose hypnotic organ riffs made Jim Morrison seem less of an idiot in the Doors, would have probably loved this record by Neils Children.

Why? Because keys dictate the flow of the alternative rock quartet’s new album, which veers well away from their guitar-led melodies of old – towards a more electronic future.

Yet despite the prominence it offers to ebony and ivory, Dimly Lit is of many colours. There are shades of MGMT and Blonde Redhead, as enchanting drum loops, jazzy bassline flourishes and John Linger’s floating vocals fuel the psychedelic momentum.

The songs vary in pace, with the quicker ones – including the title track – appended by gorgeous ambient samples.

Mature but goosebump-inducingly beautiful, this little gem might just turn out to be the band’s masterpiece.

2.6.13

Turkey may be one of this summer's major tourist destinations, but it's still possible to escape the crowds. Steve Clarkson explores the Aegean coastline and unearths some hidden gems

It's likely you know someone who's been to Turkey on a package holiday. Blazing sunshine and great deals attract crowds eager to do nothing more than laze on the beach for a fortnight with a good book in one hand and a cocktail in the other.

But if you're willing to venture off the beaten track and explore a little further, this country has plenty of hidden charms to uncover. Backed by hills and valleys dotted with small villages, the Aegean coast, in the west, has wonderful food, beaches and historic ruins - yet still hasn't been swallowed up by the mass holiday market.

Eager to explore the real Turkey, I flew into Izmir (Turkey's third largest city) and visited towns in the surrounding area.

My first taste of Turkish culture - quite literally - was in Alacati, a town 80km west of Izmir. I arrived at dusk to find the rustic streets busy with young men on mopeds returning from work and shopkeepers gossiping with customers in their doorways.

The pretty town is popular with wealthy Turks and has an impressive choice of restaurants.
Scanning the different menus, it quickly became clear that Turkish food is nothing like the greasy tray of doner meat that's served up in many British takeaways.

After taking my seat outside the Roka Bache restaurant, I was soon ploughing my way through a meze of juicy olives, crusty soda bread and mustard greens, followed by a grilled seabass, caught only a few hours before by a local fisherman. An ice-cold Efes beer completed an evening's consumption that was more than satisfying.

Food isn't the only thing that produces a smile here.
The beaches in the region are beautiful, and with temperatures pushing 40C, enjoying the scorching sun is not just socially acceptable - it's an essential component of the Aegean experience.

For a chic beachside experience, I chose to take a sun lounger at the Babylon Beach Club. Launched by the Istanbul-based Babylon venue in 2005, Beach Club provides a great selection of food, drink and entertainment - including its annual Soundgarden festival, with a good selection of international headliners.

As the cool Mediterranean waters licked the pebble shores of this secluded resort, palm leaves danced gently in the welcome sea breeze. Babylon Beach Club is the sort of place that sways to the mellow rhythms of Jack Johnson and Norah Jones, where the people are friendly and the atmosphere tranquil.

As beautiful people relaxed underneath wicker umbrellas, I headed straight for a bar stool next to a giant fan in an attempt to control the ungraceful beads of sweat dripping down my back. After ordering another slushy strawberry cocktail from the bar, I learnt one of my first Turkish words - 'serefe', which means 'cheers'.

After a few days of relaxation, however, it was time to delve a little deeper into Turkey's history. This is a land that has been fought over by many of the world's greatest powers - thanks to its position along the ancient trade routes of silk from China and spice from India - and pretty much everything here is steeped in history.

An afternoon spent in Foca - a small fishing town further up the Aegean coast - gave me a great insight into Turkey's vibrant past.